Forest Schools
The Development of Forest School in the UK
“Forest School is an inspirational process that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.
Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.”
www.forestschoolassociation.org
Forest School, as we recognise it today, has developed naturally as a grassroots social movement. Outdoor play and learning have been a fundamental part of children’s education and development since at least the nineteenth century. Following the introduction of a National Curriculum in the 1980s, the concept of Forest School appeared in the UK in 1993, when a group of nursery nurses from Bridgewater College visited Denmark to research their pre-schooling system. The outdoor, child-led, play-based pedagogy throughout Scandinavia (‘frulitsliv’- literally ‘free air life’) is considered a way of life, and one which inspired the Bridgewater team to implement some of these concepts in their own ‘Forest School’.
The idea of child-led learning is not at all new in our society, but has recently been overtaken by the restrictions of the National Curriculum, which is much more adult-led and target-driven. Back in the 1800s, Romantic poets, artists, writers and philosophers understood and celebrated the relationship between humans and nature. Educators in Germany, such as Steiner and Froebel encouraged the use of the natural world as a learning environment. In the early 20th Century, several pioneers, including Margaret McMillan, Maria Montessori and Susan Isaacs developed a play-based, child-centred, socially-minded way of learning.
After the war, attitudes to risk-taking, the rights and the freedom of children began to change. A report commissioned by the government in 1967 (Plowden Report) looked into a complete overhaul of the UK primary education system. Included in the recommendations was the concept that primary education should strengthen a child’s intrinsic interest in learning for themselves. Its recurring themes recognised the value of play, the use of the outdoors, learning by discovery and the importance of observation and evaluation. A lack of proper monitoring of teaching standards caused controversy and resulted in a reaction against a child-centred approach. Therefore the 1980s saw Plowden’s belief that ‘at the heart of the educational process lies the child’ being rejected in favour of the Department of Education’s ‘the school curriculum is at the heart of education’.
Attitudes towards risk and health and safety in the last thirty years have seen a decline of children’s freedom to roam. A few decades ago it was not uncommon for children to play unsupervised outside, or walk to school alone. Due to the increase of traffic on the roads and a culture of litigation and suspicion, children are no longer regularly exposed to as many risks. This risk aversion has ultimately led to a ‘culture of fear’. Forest School addresses this by allowing children to take appropriate risks and by developing their confidence, their self-esteem and ability to problem-solve.
Other outdoor learning providers soon followed the example of the Bridgewater nursery nurses, as the outcomes of their research proved to be so beneficial, and demand quickly grew for ‘Forest School Practitioners’ working in Early Years and Primary educational settings across the UK. The Forestry Commission welcomed this evolution of outdoor education, and between local organisations, local authorities and practitioners, the principles and structure of Forest School were agreed upon in 2002. In 2008 a Forest School special interest group was formed within the Institute for Outdoor Learning, and played a key role in the establishment of the Forest School Association in 2012.
The Forest School Association is “the professional body and UK-wide voice for Forest School, promoting best practice, cohesion and ‘quality Forest School for all’.” Across the country, there are thousands of practitioners working independently and within schools and nurseries. Several counties have formed their own local groups, which allow practitioners to share skills and resources and to gain access to CPD courses near them. Suffolk now has its own group, which was formed in 2017. FSA Suffolk aims to create a community of practitioners from all over the county to network, share ideas and promote quality Forest School Practice. The Forest School Association has recently developed a set of nationally recognised professional standards for those delivering Forest School Training to make sure trainers are providing quality Forest School Training in line with the six core Forest School principle and that they are following a quality training process.
Stephanie Holland
December 2017
Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.”
www.forestschoolassociation.org
Forest School, as we recognise it today, has developed naturally as a grassroots social movement. Outdoor play and learning have been a fundamental part of children’s education and development since at least the nineteenth century. Following the introduction of a National Curriculum in the 1980s, the concept of Forest School appeared in the UK in 1993, when a group of nursery nurses from Bridgewater College visited Denmark to research their pre-schooling system. The outdoor, child-led, play-based pedagogy throughout Scandinavia (‘frulitsliv’- literally ‘free air life’) is considered a way of life, and one which inspired the Bridgewater team to implement some of these concepts in their own ‘Forest School’.
The idea of child-led learning is not at all new in our society, but has recently been overtaken by the restrictions of the National Curriculum, which is much more adult-led and target-driven. Back in the 1800s, Romantic poets, artists, writers and philosophers understood and celebrated the relationship between humans and nature. Educators in Germany, such as Steiner and Froebel encouraged the use of the natural world as a learning environment. In the early 20th Century, several pioneers, including Margaret McMillan, Maria Montessori and Susan Isaacs developed a play-based, child-centred, socially-minded way of learning.
After the war, attitudes to risk-taking, the rights and the freedom of children began to change. A report commissioned by the government in 1967 (Plowden Report) looked into a complete overhaul of the UK primary education system. Included in the recommendations was the concept that primary education should strengthen a child’s intrinsic interest in learning for themselves. Its recurring themes recognised the value of play, the use of the outdoors, learning by discovery and the importance of observation and evaluation. A lack of proper monitoring of teaching standards caused controversy and resulted in a reaction against a child-centred approach. Therefore the 1980s saw Plowden’s belief that ‘at the heart of the educational process lies the child’ being rejected in favour of the Department of Education’s ‘the school curriculum is at the heart of education’.
Attitudes towards risk and health and safety in the last thirty years have seen a decline of children’s freedom to roam. A few decades ago it was not uncommon for children to play unsupervised outside, or walk to school alone. Due to the increase of traffic on the roads and a culture of litigation and suspicion, children are no longer regularly exposed to as many risks. This risk aversion has ultimately led to a ‘culture of fear’. Forest School addresses this by allowing children to take appropriate risks and by developing their confidence, their self-esteem and ability to problem-solve.
Other outdoor learning providers soon followed the example of the Bridgewater nursery nurses, as the outcomes of their research proved to be so beneficial, and demand quickly grew for ‘Forest School Practitioners’ working in Early Years and Primary educational settings across the UK. The Forestry Commission welcomed this evolution of outdoor education, and between local organisations, local authorities and practitioners, the principles and structure of Forest School were agreed upon in 2002. In 2008 a Forest School special interest group was formed within the Institute for Outdoor Learning, and played a key role in the establishment of the Forest School Association in 2012.
The Forest School Association is “the professional body and UK-wide voice for Forest School, promoting best practice, cohesion and ‘quality Forest School for all’.” Across the country, there are thousands of practitioners working independently and within schools and nurseries. Several counties have formed their own local groups, which allow practitioners to share skills and resources and to gain access to CPD courses near them. Suffolk now has its own group, which was formed in 2017. FSA Suffolk aims to create a community of practitioners from all over the county to network, share ideas and promote quality Forest School Practice. The Forest School Association has recently developed a set of nationally recognised professional standards for those delivering Forest School Training to make sure trainers are providing quality Forest School Training in line with the six core Forest School principle and that they are following a quality training process.
Stephanie Holland
December 2017
The Forest School Principles and criteria for good practice
(from the Forest Schools Association Website)
Principle 1: Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements of Forest School.
• Forest School takes place regularly, ideally at least every other week, with the same group of learners, over an extended period of time, if practicable encompassing the seasons.
• A Forest School programme has a structure which is based on the observations and collaborative work between learners and practitioners. This structure should clearly demonstrate progression of learning.
• The initial sessions of any programme establish physical and behavioural boundaries as well as making initial observations on which to base future programme development.
Principle 2: Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
• Whilst woodland is the ideal environment for Forest School, many other sites, some with only a few trees, are able to support good Forest School practice.
• The woodland is ideally suited to match the needs of the programme and the learners, providing them with the space and environment in which to explore and discover.
• A Forest School programme constantly monitors its ecological impact and works within a sustainable site management plan agreed between the landowner/ manager, the forest school practitioner and the learners.
• Forest School aims to foster a relationship with nature through regular personal experiences in order to develop long-term, environmentally sustainable attitudes and practices in staff, learners and the wider community.
• Forest School uses natural resources for inspiration, to enable ideas and to encourage intrinsic motivation.
Principle 3: Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners
• Where appropriate, the Forest School leader will aim to link experiences at Forest School to home, work and /or school education
• Forest School programmes aim to develop, where appropriate, the physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the learner.
Principle 4: Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
• Forest School opportunities are designed to build on an individual’s innate motivation, positive attitudes and/or interests.
• Forest School uses tools and fires only where deemed appropriate to the learners, and dependent on completion of a baseline risk assessment.
• Any Forest School experience follows a Risk–Benefit process managed jointly by the practitioner and learner that is tailored to the developmental stage of the learner.
5. Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
• Forest School is led by qualified Forest School practitioners, who are required to hold a minimum of an accredited Level 3 Forest School qualification. Find more information on Forest School qualifications here.
• There is a high ratio of practitioner/adults to learners.
• Practitioners and adults regularly helping at Forest School are subject to relevant checks into their suitability to have prolonged contact with children, young people and vulnerable people.
• Practitioners need to hold an up-to-date first aid qualification, which includes paediatric (if appropriate) and outdoor elements.
• Forest School is backed by relevant working documents, which contain all the policies and procedures required for running Forest School and which establish the roles and responsibilities of staff and volunteers.
• The Forest School leader is a reflective practitioner and sees themselves, therefore, as a learner too.
6. Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning
• A learner-centred pedagogical approach is employed by Forest School that is responsive to the needs and interests of learners.
• The Practitioner models the pedagogy, which they promote during their programmes through careful planning, appropriate dialogue and relationship building.
• Play and choice are an integral part of the Forest School learning process, and play is recognised as vital to learning and development at Forest School.
• Forest School provides a stimulus for all learning preferences and dispositions.
• Reflective practice is a feature of each session to ensure learners and practitioners can understand their achievements, develop emotional intelligence and plan for the future.
• Practitioner observation is an important element of Forest School pedagogy. Observations feed into ‘scaffolding’ and tailoring experiences to learning and development at Forest School.
• Forest School takes place regularly, ideally at least every other week, with the same group of learners, over an extended period of time, if practicable encompassing the seasons.
• A Forest School programme has a structure which is based on the observations and collaborative work between learners and practitioners. This structure should clearly demonstrate progression of learning.
• The initial sessions of any programme establish physical and behavioural boundaries as well as making initial observations on which to base future programme development.
Principle 2: Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
• Whilst woodland is the ideal environment for Forest School, many other sites, some with only a few trees, are able to support good Forest School practice.
• The woodland is ideally suited to match the needs of the programme and the learners, providing them with the space and environment in which to explore and discover.
• A Forest School programme constantly monitors its ecological impact and works within a sustainable site management plan agreed between the landowner/ manager, the forest school practitioner and the learners.
• Forest School aims to foster a relationship with nature through regular personal experiences in order to develop long-term, environmentally sustainable attitudes and practices in staff, learners and the wider community.
• Forest School uses natural resources for inspiration, to enable ideas and to encourage intrinsic motivation.
Principle 3: Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners
• Where appropriate, the Forest School leader will aim to link experiences at Forest School to home, work and /or school education
• Forest School programmes aim to develop, where appropriate, the physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the learner.
Principle 4: Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
• Forest School opportunities are designed to build on an individual’s innate motivation, positive attitudes and/or interests.
• Forest School uses tools and fires only where deemed appropriate to the learners, and dependent on completion of a baseline risk assessment.
• Any Forest School experience follows a Risk–Benefit process managed jointly by the practitioner and learner that is tailored to the developmental stage of the learner.
5. Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.
• Forest School is led by qualified Forest School practitioners, who are required to hold a minimum of an accredited Level 3 Forest School qualification. Find more information on Forest School qualifications here.
• There is a high ratio of practitioner/adults to learners.
• Practitioners and adults regularly helping at Forest School are subject to relevant checks into their suitability to have prolonged contact with children, young people and vulnerable people.
• Practitioners need to hold an up-to-date first aid qualification, which includes paediatric (if appropriate) and outdoor elements.
• Forest School is backed by relevant working documents, which contain all the policies and procedures required for running Forest School and which establish the roles and responsibilities of staff and volunteers.
• The Forest School leader is a reflective practitioner and sees themselves, therefore, as a learner too.
6. Forest School uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for development and learning
• A learner-centred pedagogical approach is employed by Forest School that is responsive to the needs and interests of learners.
• The Practitioner models the pedagogy, which they promote during their programmes through careful planning, appropriate dialogue and relationship building.
• Play and choice are an integral part of the Forest School learning process, and play is recognised as vital to learning and development at Forest School.
• Forest School provides a stimulus for all learning preferences and dispositions.
• Reflective practice is a feature of each session to ensure learners and practitioners can understand their achievements, develop emotional intelligence and plan for the future.
• Practitioner observation is an important element of Forest School pedagogy. Observations feed into ‘scaffolding’ and tailoring experiences to learning and development at Forest School.
Links and further reading
Forest School Association: www.forestschoolassociation.org
Learning Outside The Classroom - The Forest Education Network: www.lotc.org.uk/fen/
The Institute for Outdoor Learning: www.outdoor-learning.org/
Forest School Association Suffolk: www.facebook.com/FSASuffolk/
Muddy Faces - Forest School, Outdoor Play and Learning Resources: www.muddyfaces.co.uk/
Huathe - Endorsed Forest School Training: www.huathe.org/
The Forestry Commission: www.forestry.gov.uk/
The Woodland Trust: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
Suffolk Wildlife Trust: www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/
Learning Outside The Classroom - The Forest Education Network: www.lotc.org.uk/fen/
The Institute for Outdoor Learning: www.outdoor-learning.org/
Forest School Association Suffolk: www.facebook.com/FSASuffolk/
Muddy Faces - Forest School, Outdoor Play and Learning Resources: www.muddyfaces.co.uk/
Huathe - Endorsed Forest School Training: www.huathe.org/
The Forestry Commission: www.forestry.gov.uk/
The Woodland Trust: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
Suffolk Wildlife Trust: www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/
